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It’s been a long, stressful but ultimately enjoyable and amazing six and a half weeks being out on the road. Strategic planning was essential in making everything move along properly, however there is always a hiccup that can throw everything off track. Fortunately in my experience, no major problem went unresolved. I have the guys to thank for that. We all seemed to have that connection and mutual respect for each others craft. I am truly thankful for having an experienced and hard working team and will never forget sharing this entire adventure with them.

As you may or may not know, being out on the road touring is completely new territory for me. No matter how much time and effort you prepare yourself for the ebb and flow of touring, nothing goes according to the original plan. My manager and I spent countless hours mapping out dates and venues from city to city that combined scheduling flexibility and being at the right place at the right time. We started in the early summer of this year to book September and October dates. Although we had plenty of time to figure out when and where, we were still reliant on what was available at the time and what may foreseeably be available later.

While this was being plotted out, I started recording my debut album at Haus Music in Studio City with Mitchell Hauser. I brought in the guys I had been working with earlier in the year to lay down what we had experimented with in practice spaces and live shows. I write and construct all of my songs on acoustic guitar but these guys really brought it to life. By having musicians of their caliber backing me, they really influenced my drive and performance. Using this gig to gig experience around LA as a platform, I was able to understand some of the necessary components that make up touring and collaborating with venues. Or so I thought…

Without a doubt, I had the pleasure of working along side some of the most gifted, talented and hard working musicians in the industry. Most of them were in bands or in side projects together in the past. This may not come as much of a surprise because the music community tends to be very collaborative and overlapping from time to time. But how connected we were was the interesting part of this story, which I would like to share with you.

When I first moved to Los Angeles from Rhode Island, I didn’t know anyone nor was I originally pursuing a career in music. I came out here as most do to work in the film industry. I went to school with the idea that I would come out to Hollywood after I graduate and work my way up. Music was something dormant and always seemed secondary. I loved music growing up, enjoyed fiddling around on guitar and eventually formed a band while attending college. After breaking up, all of us still remained in touch but I never felt I truly got the full experience I wanted out of it. So when I moved out west and wasn’t getting where I wanted to be in the film industry, I began thinking more and more about music. I began writing again and realized how much I missed that creative outlet.

This is where things get interesting. The drummer I toured and worked with on the album (Johnny Brown) was in a band called Kid in LA. Gary Harrison was their bassist who moved out west from RI who’s girlfriend at the time worked on a film project with my brother Matt and I in Boston (she is also a RI native and had previously been introduced to Matt while working another project). I met Shaun Towne in one of my film classes in college who was an avid bassist with his first instrument being percussion. Unbeknownst to me, Gary was Shaun’s RA in his dorm at URI. So it came as a surprise to find out later how well Gary and Shaun knew each other when I picked them both up to support me on tour. Also while attending school, I worked in retail and met musician and now RI producer and recording artist Brad Thibodeaux. Brad Shaun and I, along with my friend Tim began jamming together.

Later, Shaun and I would work on the 48 Hour Film Festival where I met percussion aficionado and film editor Thom DaSilva from the Boston area. Thom moved out west and lived next door to me where he met Sam Zettel who would eventually become his roommate. Sam, Thom and I, along with Drago began jamming some of the songs that would eventually be featured on my album. Thom eventually moved back east and Sam began working with John Oltean in a band called Royal Young (they were both from the same area in Michigan). This is how I started working with Sam and John, eventually circling back and picking up Johnny Brown to play gigs and to be featured on the album. Jonny Cifuentes did sound around Hollywood when I met him playing solo shows and knew Johnny Brown. Jonny would eventually fill in the first half of the tour in September, along with Johnny and John (lots of John’s).

When I was planning out October on the east coast, I decided to contact those whom I have either jammed with in the past or met in the music community. Brad became my main point of reference due to his knowledge and experience touring with other bands. He accompanied me on lead guitar for the two and a half weeks around the New England area. It has been almost a decade since Brad, Shaun and I played together so you can imagine how surreal that was being out on the road, along with Gary, whom Shaun and I knew from different circumstances. It would have been extra interesting if Shaun and Thom were reunited but Shaun was adamant about playing drums instead of bass on tour and could only take a week off of work for the second half of the tour. Instead, Thom filled in the first week and brought in his long time college jamming buddy Dmitri Khodjakov on bass.

So, all and all, it just goes to show how coincidence and how well connected the music community really is. I could also say my friend from my home town Luke Imbusch, who recorded my first EP went to Berkeley in Boston with my current album producer Mitchell, but I think you get the point. It was exciting going on tour all over California, stopping in Maui and heading back to my neck of the woods where it all started. I met some really cool people and learned a lot about how things work. I’m looking forward to the release of my new album and will be making an announcement as soon as it becomes available. I hope this was as fun for you to read as it was fun for me to connect all the dots.

So this is it, feet don’t fail me now! The album is nearing completion and my tour dates for California, Hawaii and New England are set. It’s finally happening. I have worked with some of the most talented people in the LA music scene, from producers to musicians to solo artists.

After a year of putting these songs together and realizing how perfect they would be connected in a concept album, I finally have something that accurately reflects where I have been and where I am heading. This is the most personal collection of songs I have ever written and I am looking forward to sharing them with you all.

Mitchell Haeuszer is the producer and audio engineer on my debut album: "Black Fish (Or, the Journey to the Bottom of the Ocean)”. He owns Haus Music in Studio City and we got to know each other very well over the summer (he seems to have a knack for my style and my perfectionism).

From our time getting to know one another, we have brought in numerous artists to be featured on the album including Ryan and Sean Greenfield, Christian Pereira, John Oltean, Sam Zettel, and Johnny Brown.

My mother Susan, an avid painter and artist, has her work featured on my album cover. The idea behind "Black Fish” originates from my summers spent in Quonochontaug, RI. “Quonochontaug” originates from the Native Americans meaning “home of the black fish”.

Symbolically, the album relates to my past and the summers I spent growing up in Quonochontaug. Crafted in a way that tells the story backwards, it starts from my time alone out in Los Angeles and continues through the seasons of the east coast only to finish reflecting on what’s next.

Check out my tour schedule for the month of September and October to see where I will be performing. Being a do-it-yourself musician has been quite a challenge in the ever changing music scene, however it has taught me a lot about myself. I look forward to playing to my fans and strangers and the adventures that await.

A year ago this month, I sat down with producer Lew Richards of 17th Street Recording Studio in Costa Mesa, CA. I had written lyrics to the song "Progress" in November of 2015 and began developing the basic chords and structure immediately following. After testing it live at open mics in the South Bay area and receiving positive feedback from both musicians and audiences alike, I decided this would be the first song I would record professionally.

Being new to recording in such a large studio of high caliber quality, it took me some time to adjust to the quickness and feel of recording. For years, I have always been a live performer both in bands and solo, so recording in the studio was foreign to me. You become lines on a computer; everything must be perfect, and if it isn't, you redo until it is. It became a tug of war creatively -- you want to keep certain lines or parts in the song that you normally play with live. But once you get down to the root and theme of the song, you focus in on what matters without compromising your style. Lew was very good about that.

Once the foundations were laid, it was time to bring in other musicians. Despite the fact that there are really only three chords in the versus and five interchangeable ones in the chorus, I was impressed with how quickly and stylistically each musician brought to the table. Once Alex Vo (lead guitar/dobro) was familiar the guitar parts in the song, we decided to add a dobro to give it a dirty, southwestern feel. From there, the song came to life. It was at that moment that I realized we had something special.

Then came time to create the music video. Evelyn Hali'aaloha Roberts has been my manager ever since "Progress.” When she developed Good Evening Entertainment, we immediately started to raise money for the video. In autumn of last year, we decided to bring on Chelsea Lutz of Left Handed Pictures as a producer. Chelsea and I have worked on projects before, most notably a short film with Lacombe Productions that is still under development. Not only was she the most qualified person I could think of to take on this project, but she also came with her talented Left Handed Pictures partner and cinematographer Kenneth Bauer. That’s when Evelyn, myself, Chelsea, Kenny, and my brother Matthew sat down to develop schedules and shot lists.

Principal photography began in October of last year, and days into production, I fractured my right metacarpal down at The Wedge in Newport Beach. My hairline fracture was initially misdiagnosed and remained untreated, but we continued production anyway. Upon a visit to the orthopedic surgeon, they later updated my condition to a hairline fracture and casted my entire hand -- you may notice this in certain parts of the video. Being the positive and story-driven director he is, Matthew said, "Hey, it just looks like you woke up in the desert after a trip to the ER". Works for me!

The video is centered around the idea that our species has progressed to different stages throughout time, and that we are not only spinning our wheels, but in some cases, we’re moving backwards. This drug-using, mullet-sporting relic straight out of the 1980's is a man among a generation that is lost in a technological world. He awakens in a vast desert, only to realize that humanity hasn't changed – generations out of touch with other generations. We only progress when we rewind and focus on what lies ahead; only then can we move forward.

We hope you enjoyed the video! More projects stir in the pot for this new year and I look forward to sharing them all with you. Remember, like/follow/subscribe to my social media channels to get the latest updates in all things Michael Conrad Music related. Thank you so very much for watching and listening and we’ll see you in the next blog post!

It's been quite an incredible year so far! I've met a lot of amazing musicians, producers and booking agents who have helped light a fire under my desire to perform and record original material. So far, I have managed to get a lot of those songs recorded acoustically along with the opportunity to perform them around town. I have just finalized my first updated single "Progress" available now on iTunes along with the music video. I plan on shooting two more videos this year in Maui and plan on releasing them all early 2017.

So what's next? I don't expect to slow down. I am currently actively searching for studios to record my first full length album with a wide arrangement of studio musicians. Although acoustic is great and I enjoy the individuality and creativity involved with being a solo artist, it's time to expand. I have received a lot of constructive feedback on my music and most have drawn the same conclusion: I need a band. So, with that said, let's jam! Musicians of all types that are dedicated to their craft with a strong emphasis on creativity, please inquire!

If you are a musician, booking agent, or producer looking for a new project and you are interested in getting involved, please contact me at info@michaelconradmusic.com or contact management at (424) 335 4230. I love meeting new people who are serious about being successful and believe in the marriage of development and creativity. The new year is approaching, let's make something great together!

We have almost reached the half way point in the project since we launched. I wanted to reach out to ask for your support for the "Michael Conrad Music Debut Video Progress" campaign on Indiegogo.

There are two ways to help:

1. Contribute - even small contributions raise their popularity and give them more visibility on the site. 2. Post to Facebook - in the end, the more people hear about them, the more likely they are to meet their target.

Brand new to the Los Angeles alt rock music scene, Michael Conrad will be debuting his first single “Progress” starting this summer. And the song could not have come at a more perfect time. With the election year edging closer, Progress explores today’s socioeconomic status, inequality, and love of power. The song is available now on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. It was recorded at 17th Street Recording Studio in Costa Mesa with well-known local producer Lew Richards. Lew has worked with artists such as The Dirty Heads, Slightly Stoopid, Sublime with Rome, and Micha Brown to name a few.

Lew Richards (Producer) states “I had a really great time working with Mike I was honored to be a part of his first real studio recording. He was professional all the way through and I’m really stoked on how the song came out. Look forward to seeing what Mike does in the future.”

Alex Vo (Dobro and Electric Guitar) said “I had a great time and it was a pleasure working on Mike’s new song!”

Michael’s guitar style consists of a fast acoustic Celtic rhythm, palm muted strumming, sprinkled in harmonics, and a strong laid back modern rock feel. He has many musical influences including, but not limited to: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus, John Butler Trio, and Dispatch. Growing up in a small town in New England, Michael moved out to Los Angeles originally to make a career in the film industry but found himself returning to his love of music and poetry.

Progess has a Wild West feel, utilizing spoken word with a clean and rich sounding chorus. A song that strikes a chord with the listener, both harsh and inviting. A local LA County tour is planned for mid to late summer 2016. The single will be ready for radio play and sent to all media venues in California, Hawaii, Boston, Austin, Atlanta and Nashville areas respectively. Michael is currently working on new material for a full length feature album. Acoustic versions of those songs will be performed at his shows this summer.